Running out of items is a constant problem plaguing Yahoo Store Merchants. The only way to ensure their customers will not be frustrated by this unavoidable issue, is to incorporate an Auto-Notify feature. This feature can increase conversion ratios and had been proven very effective.

Heres how it works:

• A customer comes across an out of stock item on your Yahoo Store
• They are presented with a specified place to leave their email address
• When your store replenishes the particular item in demand, the customer will automatically be notified through the email address they left on your Yahoo Store

Check out this feature in action on http://superherotoys.com

Auto- Notification can be very useful to busy Yahoo Stores. It also provides a better experience for customers, which can lead to higher reviews.

Please note that Yahoo Store Engineers will be conducting system upgrades from May 14th to May 15th . Here’s a snippet from the support site.

“Yahoo! Merchant Solutions and Yahoo! Store will be conducting system upgrades to increase system capacity and help improve performance. Store Manager will not be available during the upgrade period, and FDMS batch submissions may be delayed. Some shoppers may be unable to use coupons or gift certificates when placing an order during this time. Merchants who use the Database Inventory feature should set their “Quantity can Exceed Availability” setting to “Yes” for the upgrade period, or orders may not be accepted. We apologize for any inconvenience. “

What it means and how to take necessary steps?

• If your store uses Real Time Inventory, you should either turn it off or make sure that you still accept orders even if the item is down to zero. Go to Configure Inventory link under Order Settings. Locate this Quantity can Exceed Availability and make it Yes. Click on Update button and publish your order settings.
• To make sure that there are not many unhappy customers, put your phone number on Shopping cart, Shipping Info & Billing Info pages and encourage them to call you if they have any problem with checkout. You do not need to tell them about the whole issue. Something like “Please call xxx-xxx-xxxx if you have any question about checkout or need help checking out”

If you need any help in changing your settings or need to add any message to your Yahoo Store Checkout Page, feel free to call toll free at 1-888-508-0613 or go to our website RTMLWise.com and submit a Yahoo Store Feature request.

For more system alerts subscribe to our feed by clicking on button corresponding to your favorite News (RSS) Reader or subscribe to our newsletter on the right.

Scanning text is a method frequently used by page viewers. Many readers on the web don’t typically read that much. They skim the page of the site to gather general information about what it is that the site is about. The eye is naturally directed to perceive web pages in a particular way. But just how much are they (not) reading? Recent studies have shown at most users have time to view about 28% of the pages content.

image copyright: useit.com

Nielson Norman’s eyetracking studies used a “heatmap” to see how users look at different parts of a web page.

Due to the fact that web page viewers are not actually reading the details of web pages, the features of a site are not always being used to their maximum capabilities. Research has shown that clicking hypertext is the action made most by web page viewers. Second is clicking buttons on the page, while simply clicking the “Back” button comes in third.

Here are a few recommendations for your Yahoo Store:

• Have most important links in header
• Create a text based navigation bar
• Turn item names into bold or headline text
• Move order button to top of page
• Keep description within first fold of the page
• Place Yahoo Store crossells on right navigation bar

 Revise your Yahoo Store item pages to better suit the eye.

In this day and age, email is one of the best ways to spread information to a large audience that is cheap and effective. So why not use emails to get the word out about your Yahoo Store?

An RTMLWise newsletter for Fjorn Scandinavian Yahoo Store.

Email Marketing will allow you to reach past customers and prospective buyers and inform them about new updates about your Yahoo Store. This is a great and cost efficient way to reach a mass audience. RTMLWise offers an effective email marketing service.

Here’s what RTMLWise Email Marketing Service includes:

• Setup and design of an initial template
• Transfer or entrance of current mailing list into newsletter management campaign
• Maintenance and updates of mailing list
• Content of newsletter
• Promotion of products from your Yahoo Store with links in the newsletter
• Create a draft of each edition of the newsletter with you as the editor
• Email the newsletter to entire mailing list
• Supply you with data about the newsletter’s performance

Your Yahoo Store can greatly benefit with the usage of RTMLWise Email Marketing Services.

Many Yahoo Store owners overlook some key tiny details that are detrimental to the success of the e-commerce store. Here is a list of 10 simple ways to boost your Yahoo Store’s conversion rates…

1. Increase Font Sizes on Yahoo Store Items and Section Pages - Who would have ever thought font size played such a huge role in conversion rates?! It turns out that font size is important because screen sizes are increasing. In order to cater to your customers, adjust your font size to match the growing size of screen resolutions.
2. Display Larger Item Images on Section and Item Pages - As I mentioned before, as a Yahoo Store Owner, you should cater to the growing sizes of screens to make your images more visible to your customer.
3. Display Customer Testimonials- Allow your customer to see your credibility by proving to them that many other people rely on your Yahoo Store.
4. Provide Customers with Coupons- People love discounts. By providing people with coupons, you can instantly generate sales.
5. List a Phone Number- Allow your customers to feel like they can count on you if they are having an issue. Be accessible to customers.
6. Start Using PayPal-Hundreds of people have grown accustomed to using PayPal and feel comfortable using their system.
7. Display Trust Icons- Provide your Yahoo Store customers with a sense of safety. By placing these icons on your online store, you gain the customer’s trust.
8. Guarantee the Lowest Prices- Guaranteeing your customers with the lowest prices can turn a one time shopper into a loyal customer.
9. Blog-Blogging can do a lot for your Yahoo Store. By adding content, personality, internal links, and dimension, you can add page rank and draw interest of a customer.
10. Redesign Your Yahoo Store- Distinguish your Yahoo Store from generic online stores. You can add a sense of individuality and brand by redesigning.

Make your Yahoo Store more visible to search engines by optimizing it for search engines. There is a new economic alternative to costly PPC programs that generate traffic to your Yahoo Store. The solution is RTMLWise’s Complete SEO Package. The enhancements that are included in the package are beneficial to search engine rankings and completely safe to your Yahoo Store.

The package includes

• Breadcrumbs
• Text Based Side Navigation Bar
• Related Items
• Categorized Site Map
•  Dynamic Title Meta Tags
• Dynamic Keywords & Description Meta Tags
• Alt Tags on Images

All of these features increase rankings and can instantly lead to better conversions more clicks. Based on recommended search engine practices, these features will make your Yahoo Store more compatible for major search engines. RTMLWise’s Complete SEO Package increases keyword density, content relevancy, and installs proper meta tags, which will bring lots of traffic to your Yahoo Store.

Whether your a new Yahoo Store merchant or an own an established Yahoo Store, redesigning your Yahoo Store should be considered. Redesigning your Yahoo Store can advance marketing, page layout, and navigation features. By providing customers with updated features like, “Breadcrumbs” and “Related Items”you significantly enhance their shopping experience at the Yahoo Store. Redesigning can also mean better search engine optimization which may lead to better conversions. Create an effective design that is customer friendly and incorporates the personal feel of your Yahoo Store.

Operating on a generic Yahoo Store template or a dated design can hinder the effectiveness of your Yahoo Store. Yahoo Stores can lack a sense of personality and can come off as bland if not designed effectively. Often times, default Yahoo Stores lack sophisticated marketing features which can limit the profit of the store. Creating a new design for your Yahoo Store allows you to choose the easiest way for you to manage your Yahoo Store and how your store functions. Also, many Yahoo Stores that have not been redesigned are not well optimized for search engines, which can hinder search engine ratings.

So, does your Yahoo Store need to be redesigned?

Click here to learn about RTMLWise.com’s Yahoo Store design packages.

- RTMLWise offers free quotes and Yahoo Store design consultations.

RTMLWise.com helped launch these recent Yahoo Stores:

Accessory Export Wholesale

Neck Charms

Bliss Diaper Bags

Givings Greetings 

 Miss Couture

Visit RTMLWise.com, if your interested in launching your own Yahoo Store.

Large groups of items on the section pages of your Yahoo Store, can confuse and wear a customer out. What is the solution to this problem? Pagination.

Yahoo Store Pagination Q&A 

What is Pagination?

 - Pagination is a module that divides long section pages into multiple pages ( Example: “Page 1 2 3 Next”). This module breaks extensive item lists into a simple and clear list of inventory.

 Why Should I Add the Pagination Feature to Your Yahoo Store? 

- By adding the pagination feature, you can immediately simplify your Yahoo Store’s layout. Long section pages can take a long time to load which can lead to a customer losing interest. By breaking the section pages up, you keep the customer engaged and not waiting for the page to load. If you add pagination to your Yahoo Store, you can assist the customer in focusing on specific products without overwhelming them. Pagination is also beneficial for search engine optimization.

  How Does Yahoo Store Pagination Work?

- RTMLWise.com has developed two pagination modules: Basic and Advanced. Both systems can easily be controlled through global variable.

Can I Turn the Pagination Feature Off for Certain Pages in My Yahoo Store?

- Yes you can turn the pagination feature off for any selected pages.
Visit RTMLWise.com to learn more about Yahoo Store Pagination.

At one point or another we have all come across an annoying 404 Error Page while shopping in a Yahoo Store. They are frustrating and often leave a customer with no where to go afterward. RTMLWise.com proposes a great idea for Yahoo Store owners; instead of avoiding those frustrating those pages, CUSTOMIZE THEM!